A Penny For Your Thoughts
by Purupuss
Summary: Chapter 59.5 of Rima. (You will definitely need to have read Rima to understand what's going on here.)


_You asked for it... Well, one or two of you did. A pre/sequel to Rima.  
_

_The same disclaimer applies as for Rima - all those mentioned in the TV show below to the show's current owners. The Tracys' extended family and the events mentioned belong to me._

_FAB_

:-)_ Purupuss_

* * *

**A Penny for your thoughts**

Things had changed over the years on Tracy Island. No longer was it the quiet, idyllic, tropical isle - aside from those times when a brother had been yelling at another brother (usually Gordon) for the misdeed that the latter had done; or a Thunderbird had been launching to another rescue. Now the courtyard below the main villa was frequently filled with the sounds of childish laughter.

And, Scott Tracy mused as he stood on the balcony and surveyed the changed scene below him, childish arguments.

Two of Gordon's triplets, he wasn't sure which two although the one who was really fired up had to be "Pacific", were in a heated debate over something trivial. The object of Pacific's anger was holding a toy bear that once upon a time would have been white, but now was a dirty grey and Pacific thought that it was being held by the wrong hands. The triplet holding the bear was steadfastly refusing to return it as Gordon tried to referee the altercation.

The rest of the family, including the sole remaining triplet, who was drawing and was probably in that case "Atlantic", were basically ignoring them.

On the far side of the pool John, Emma, Tin-Tin and Alan were enjoying a game of ball with their children. The sounds of their carefree laughter could be heard and Scott had to admit that this was one definite improvement in their lives. International Rescue's growth meant that the entire Tracy family now had more time to spend together.

Even if the family seemed to want to spend time with their families rather than with him.

He redirected his attention to a newish house off to one side of the scene. There he could see Virgil and Alice. The couple were on the verandah of their home with their two children, and judging by the way the four of them were bent over books and computers, they were in the middle of a lesson.

And here he was: "Uncle Scott". The one who used to be looked up to. The one his brothers used to come to for guidance. And now they all had families of their own. They were the ones looked up to. They were there ones doing the guiding.

And he was alone.

He sensed someone come to stand at his elbow. "A Penny for your thoughts," a cultured voice said.

Scott smiled. "Just thinking about the changes we've been through over the years."

Lady Penelope looked out over the scene. "Things have definitely changed since the first time I visited here. Things used to be so quiet. And now..."

"You've got that right." He sucked a breath in through his teeth as Pacific threw a piece of wood with deadly accuracy, catching the object of their fury (by a process of elimination it had to be "Indie") on the side of the face. There was a scream before Indie started bawling.

Lady Penelope felt Scott's instinctive move to help. A move that was stillborn as at once several adults converged on the small figure who was standing there, screaming, blood streaming down the side of a screwed up face.

The couple on the balcony watched as Gordon crouched down, made a quick inspection, placed a handkerchief over the wound, and picked up his child. He carried his sobbing, bleeding bundle inside, with repeated promises that Uncle Brains would be able to make it better. Stephanie grabbed Pacific by the hand and dragged the mulish miscreant after them, as Atlantic followed along behind, wanting to help, but most probably about to get in the way.

"The triplets take after their father," Lady Penelope mused.

Scott agreed. "They've all got bits of him… Magnified in triplicate." He managed a dry chuckle. "I call that just desserts."

"It is such a joy to see Alan and John spend time together."

Scott smiled. "I was just thinking that. Even after we shut International Rescue down, they didn't get together that often. Now that we've got Howard and others on the books, I think they've spent more time in each other's company in the past ten years than they did in the previous twenty."

Lady Penelope watched as an elderly figure approached a chair and sat down to watch those playing ball. "Kyrano looks well, considering how ill he was a few months ago."

"He says that now that his half-brother is dead he _has nothing to ail him_."

"How can he be sure that his half-brother has died?" Lady Penelope looked at her companion with curiosity. "Do you believe in a mental telepathic connection between brothers?"

"You're asking _me_?!" Scott gave a lopsided grin as he leant back on the balcony. "The day we rescued you from the Hood I saw one or two things that I can't explain. Until someone supplies me with evidence to the contrary, and that's highly unlikely now, I haven't got a better explanation."

"And how are you, Scott? Do you enjoy being an uncle to such a large family?"

"Life is different."

Lady Penelope heard a wistful undertone in his reply and understood why. She decided that he needed cheering up. "I am afraid that I am enjoying too much of Kyrano's excellent cooking and not getting enough exercise. I was wondering if you might help me counteract this."

Intrigued, he turned to her. "What did you have in mind?"

"A little judo. We have only competed against each other once in all the years I have known you."

"That's because I don't appreciate getting my... erm... getting beaten in public."

"But this time it will not be in public. Everyone else is otherwise occupied."

Scott thought for a moment. He knew he was in a melancholy mood and some exercise to snap him out of it would be the ideal remedy. "All right, then. I'll meet you in the gym in ten minutes."

They arrived at the same time, both dressed in their Gi.

"Do be gentle, Scott," Lady Penelope requested. "I am out of practise."

"Be gentle?" Scott snorted. "You weren't gentle last time, Penny. You could have killed me like that!" He snapped his fingers.

She raised an eyebrow. A gesture that Scott interpreted as a smirk.

They bowed to each other and settled into their bout.

They'd been sparring for quarter of an hour, neither succeeding in gaining the upper hand, when Scott managed to flip Lady Penelope onto her back. Holding her hands against the floor beside her head, he pinned her down and, intending to make a witty remark about male superiority, looked into her eyes...

He was enveloped in a sensation that he'd never experienced before – like he was staring into the bluest blue sky he'd ever seen; like he was flying without wings into the most perfect, wide-open, aerial space; like he could soar forever without the need to ever touch down on the Earth again. He couldn't, and didn't want to, drag his eyes away from hers…

Powerless to move, and not only through his weight on her, Lady Penelope stared up into his blue eyes and wondered why she'd never noticed how penetrating they were. They seemed to crumble the barrier that she'd erected before all the men she'd met… And to her surprise she welcomed the invasion…

The most perfect woman he could imagine was beneath him. They were only centimetres apart. All he had to do was move a little and their lips would touch and he would be kissing Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward…

She breathed in: inhaling the scent of what remained of his aftershave and the warm, musky, _sexy_ smell of a man who was handsome, strong, fit, vigorous… and wished that their lips would meet...

And then he was gone.

The realisation of what he was thinking had hit Scott like a bucket of iced water. Shocked by his behaviour he rolled off, winding up sitting on the floor so he couldn't see her. "Sorry," he mumbled.

And neither of them were sure what he was sorry for.

Disappointed, Lady Penelope sat up. "That was… ah… unexpected."

"I got lucky." Scott cringed at his choice of words.

"I… ah… I applaud you."

"I… erm…" Scott almost looked over his shoulder at her; winding up gazing at a treadmill. "I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"Not at all. I found it… ah… most enjoyable."

"Pe… Ah, I mean… Lady Penelope…?"

Lady Penelope wondered at his formality. "Yes?"

"Did…? Did you…? Did we…?" Finally Scott managed to articulate his question that they were both asking themselves. "What just happened here?"

"I do not know."

"Didn't you feel it?"

"I felt…" Lady Penelope considered her answer. "I felt something I did not expect… and it felt wonderful."

"Yeah. Me too..." Still not looking at her, Scott straightened his jacket. "Do we do something about it?"

"Such as what?"

Scott shrugged. "I don't know."

There was silence as they both contemplated their options.

"I suppose we should get changed?" Scott got to his feet and automatically held out his hand to assist her ladyship to her feet. She accepted his offer and stood.

They stood there awkwardly, hand in hand, wondering what the other was thinking and what they should do.

"Thanks for a good fight." Scott shook her hand, grabbed his towel, and left the gym.

-FAB-

"You're quiet."

"Huh?" Scott looked up from the diagrams he was looking at without seeing. "What?"

"I said," Virgil began, "that you're quiet. You asked me here to discuss the plans for Thunderbird One's upgrade and you've barely said a word!"

"Oh…" Scott said. "Sorry." He lapsed back into his reverie.

"A penny for your thoughts."

"What!" Scott almost jumped out of his skin. "What did you say about Penny?"

"I didn't say anything about Penny," Virgil told him. "I just asked what you're thinking about."

"Oh…" Scott examined the pen in his hand that he had no recollection picking up. "I was thinking about Lady Penelope."

"Why, when we're supposed to be talking about Thunderbird One, were you thinking about Penny?"

"Because…" Scott examined the pen closely. "Something happened."

"What?"

"To us… Penny and me."

"What?" Virgil repeated.

"We… ah… She challenged me to a round of judo."

"You didn't accept, did you?"

"I had nothing else to do, so, yeah."

"What!?" Virgil's eyes widened. "You know what happened last time she did that. Who won?"

"I did," Scott said briefly.

"You won?" Virgil frowned. "And that's got you tied up in knots?"

"No… I'd scored the winning ippon and…"

"And?"

"She couldn't move. I had her pinned… and…"

Virgil waited to hear what the "and" was. "Well?"

"We…" Scott considered how to describe it. "We connected."

"Connected?" Virgil echoed. "What do you mean connected? Did you bang your heads or something? Did you hurt her?"

"No."

Virgil watched his brother as he toyed with the pen. Finally tired with the lack of information, he reached across the table and snatched it from him.

"Hey!"

"Well, talk to me! I have no idea what you're talking about."

"All right." Scott ran his fingers along the edge of the plans in front of him. "We…"

"Yes?"

"Penny and I…"

"Yes?"

"You'll laugh."

"I won't even smile if you don't tell me what's eating you."

Scott took a deep breath. "I looked at her and it was like…" he grimaced. "Like we connected."

"You said that before. What do you mean connected?"

"Oh! I don't know!" Scott lurched to his feet and stamped across the room so he couldn't face his brother. "I can't explain it. We just… connected."

"Scott…" Virgil took a deep breath as he tried to analyse the little he'd been told. "You're making absolutely no sense."

"That's because it doesn't make sense! It's wrong and yet… It felt right."

"It's wrong, but felt right?" Virgil scratched his head. "Do you want to start again?"

"What I want…!" And Scott suddenly slumped. "I don't know what I want. I'm confused."

"That makes two of us." Virgil beckoned to his brother. "Come back over here, sit down, and start again."

At a loss as to what else to do, Scott obeyed.

But he said nothing.

"You challenged each other to a fight," Virgil prompted.

"Yes."

"And you won."

"Yes."

"And you… 'connected'?"

"Yes."

"How?"

"Like…" Scott brought his hands together, interlocking his fingers. "Connected."

"Scott! I still have no idea what you're talking about!" Virgil threw up his hands and the light glinted off the gold band on his finger.

This gave Scott an idea. "How…" He picked up the pen and started doodling so he didn't have to look at his brother. "How did you know when you, erm… wanted to get to know Alice better?"

"Better?"

"You know… Romantically."

"Tin-Tin told me." Then Virgil's jaw dropped. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?!"

Scott concentrated on his doodle.

"You and… and… Penny!?"

"I think so…"

"You _think_ so!"

"I looked into her eyes and it felt like we were two halves coming together…" Scott realised what he was saying and added a hasty: "Metaphorically speaking!"

"Awesome!"

Scott looked up. "What?!"

Virgil was beaming. "It's about time you found someone, and who better than Penny?"

"But… But…" Scott spluttered. "It's Lady Penelope."

"Who's probably as lonely as you are. There's only so much that Parker can do for her."

"I'm not lonely," Scott mumbled.

"Of course you are," Virgil scoffed. "We've all got our families and you've got no one. It's about time you found someone and settled down."

"Settled down!? I don't even know if she feels the same way."

Virgil looked disappointed. "Oh."

"All I know is that I had her pinned to the ground…"

There was a smirk. "Kinky."

Scott glared at his brother, "I had her pinned, I looked at her, and it was like I was falling into her."

Virgil snickered. "Oh, yes…"

"If you're going to be like that," Scott got to his feet, "I don't want to talk to you." He turned for the door.

"Hey! Don't go." Virgil caught his arm. "I'm sorry." He waited until his brother had reclaimed his chair. "So you had her pinned to the floor. Then what?"

"Then nothing… I was thinking about kissing her, and I let her go."

"You let her go instead of kissing her? Are you so out of practise that you've forgotten what to do?"

"No! Well…" Scott grimaced. "Okay, yes, I am out of practise. It's been years since I've been on a date. But that wasn't what held me back. It was because it was Lady Penelope."

"Is there any chance that she felt the same way?"

"She said she felt something 'unexpected and wonderful'."

"And that wasn't just the shock of someone else beating her?"

Scott shrugged. "I don't know."

"What are you going to do about it?"

"I don't know," Scott repeated. "I don't even know if I should do anything."

"Why not?"

"Well, it's Lady Penelope. She's an associate. She's a colleague. She's deadly. She's a co-worker..."

"She's a friend."

"Exactly. She's a friend! I've never thought of her in that way before."

"I never thought of Alice in any way except as 'a friend'," Virgil mimed the quotation marks. "Not until I gave myself the chance to really get to know her."

"But should I get to know Penny in that way? What about International Rescue?"

"What about it?"

"I can't do anything that will disrupt it."

"Scott! Stop trying to see the difficulties of having a relationship with Penny and think of the positives."

"Which are?"

"It's Penny! She's beautiful. She's intelligent. She already knows who you are… Who we are. You don't have to go through the awkward 'how do I tell her about International Rescue and should I' thing that the rest of us had to go through."

"Except Alan."

"Right. Like Alan you already know that you can trust her with that secret. Unlike a certain someone from your past."

Scott made a face and Virgil wondered if he'd reopened old wounds.

He leant forward. "You know that everyone here likes Penny and already thinks of her as part of the extended family. You'd just be bringing her closer into the circle."

Still uncomfortable by the conversation, Scott tried a diversion. "How did you tell Alice you were a member of International Rescue?"

"I blindfolded her…"

It was Scott's turn to smirk. "Who's kinky now?"

Virgil glared at his brother. "And took her into Thunderbird Two's cockpit."

The smirk vanished. "You did what!"

"When she was asked to make that movie about International Rescue and Doomsday, Alice said that she'd like the role of Thunderbird Two's pilot. Instead she got the part of the engineer…"

"Well, she is prettier than Brains."

"That's my wife you're talking about."

"She's prettier than you too."

Virgil chuckled. "I sat her in her pilot's seat before I removed the blindfold. I had candles and flowers around the place, and had projected _will you marry me_ onto the cockpit window, so that was the first thing she saw. She thought it was romantic."

"What would you have done if she'd said no?"

"I knew her and trusted her enough to know that that wasn't going to happen."

Scott said nothing.

"Try, Scott," Virgil begged. "You'll never forgive yourself if you don't."

"But how do I try? There aren't a lot of options for taking her on a date here on Tracy Island and I'm not due leave for ages."

"Is that what's holding you back?" Virgil looked astounded. "_You_ can't come up with a plan?"

Scott raised his hands hopelessly.

"Okay, then. Alice and I will invite Penny to dinner at our house tonight."

"You're going to tell Alice!?" Scott was mortified.

"If this thing goes the way we want, you're going to have to tell everyone at some point. And there's no way I'm lying to her, not even for you." Not giving Scott a chance to comment, Virgil continued planning. "It's hot so Father will probably retire early, Kyrano only ever has a light meal, and everyone else will do their own thing, so you can join us."

"What about Parker?"

"Do I have to think of everything? We'll tell everyone that you two are eating with us, but in reality you can take Penny up for a romantic picnic dinner at the lookout… Only make sure you leave a towel at the bottom of the path so you don't get interrupted."

Scott considered the idea. "What if Penny refuses?"

"Then you know where you stand." Virgil looked at Scott hopefully.

"What if she accepts and there's nothing between us? No spark…"

"What's the worst that can happen? You enjoy a pleasant evening with a friend and agree that a moment's loneliness gave you a common bond, that there's nothing between you except work and friendship, and move on…" Virgil waited. "Well…?"

Scott bit his lip. "Well…"

-FAB-

Scott had to admit that Virgil's idea of having a picnic up at the lookout was a good one. But that didn't stop him from being a barrel of nerves when he had extended the invitation to Lady Penelope and the almost unexpected upwelling of joy when she'd accepted.

Alice had been more than willing to act the part of decoy and had packed the kids off to their cousins' before spending a couple of hours preparing the picnic. Her efforts left her husband grumbling that she never did any special cooking for him, until she reminded him that without any children about to interrupt, they could have a romantic evening of their own.

And now Scott was leading Lady Penelope, her hand feather-light in his as he assisted her over the rougher bits, up to the part of the island that looked out over the Pacific and the descending sun.

He led her over to the table that he and Virgil had prepared, held a chair out for her, lit the candles, and then poured each of them a drink. Satisfied that the scene was complete, he sat down.

"This is beautiful, Scott," Lady Penelope complimented him.

"So are you."

Lady Penelope blushed, and Scott reflected that it was the first time that he'd ever seen her do so.

And he loved it.

They sat in silence for a moment, not awkwardly, but enjoying a moment away from the bedlam that was the Tracy household, along with the view before them.

"You should know," Lady Penelope began, "that I have told Jeff that I shall be leaving tomorrow."

Startled by her announcement, Scott sat up straight. "Leaving? Tomorrow!? Why?"

"I felt that it was a prudent move to make. If tonight does not work out, it will give us time to come to terms with it, without any of the awkwardness of trying to behave normally around your family."

"And if it does work out?"

"It will give us some space to come to terms with it, without any of the awkwardness..."

"…of trying to behave normally around my family," he finished. "What is Parker doing for dinner tonight?"

"He and Kyrano are partaking of a light meal together…" Lady Penelope sighed. "I worry about Parker. He is not as young as he was and I know that it is time that he should retire from my service. But he is loyal to me and I do not want him to feel that I no longer need him. And… I must admit that I will miss his presence."

"And his safe cracking skills."

"I have little need for them now," Penelope admitted. "I am approaching the age where it is time to pass the baton to the younger generation."

"You're not old, Penny," Scott told her.

"No, but battling those who would wish to steal International Rescue's secrets is a young person's game. We have many agents who are as capable as I was, and I trust them to continue my work. I am content to merely lead them. Besides, our greatest foe has perished."

"Kyrano's brother?"

"Yes. And because of this I have no need to continue in my role with International Rescue."

Scott decided that what was meant to be a romantic evening was becoming too intense… And not in a good way. "What are we doing talking shop? We're here to enjoy ourselves."

Penelope smiled and he instantly felt the night's mood lighten.

They talked, they ate, and at one point Scott discovered that his hand was holding Penelope's. He had no idea when or why it had happened, but it felt like it was where it was meant to be and so he did nothing about it. "You know," he said, "I was expecting tonight to feel weird and unnatural, but it's not."

"Yes," she agreed, "this feels right. Maybe I was too hasty in my decision to leave?"

The sun was setting. Mindful of the shortness of a tropical twilight, Scott reluctantly decided that it was time to return to the villa. He didn't want what had been a magical evening to end by one or other of them twisting an ankle in the dark… Although the idea of gallantly carrying his date home appealed to him.

He pulled a cover over the night's accessories. They could wait until the morning and he was not keen to spoil a wonderful evening by cleaning up.

He turned. There, silhouetted by the evening light, her golden hair a halo in the setting sun, Penny stood admiring the view at the edge of the lookout. Struck by the beauty of the scene, Scott watched her for a moment, before joining her.

"It is beautiful," she breathed. "It is like we're flying above the ocean."

"I often come up here just because of that," he admitted. "You know that old Titanic movie?"

"Where they stood on the bow of the ship and pretended they were flying?"

"That's it. Just go a little closer to the edge…"

She did so, raising her arms and feeling the rising evening breeze caress her body. She felt him draw close and it seemed the most natural thing in the world to lean back against him. For Scott, it seemed equally natural to slide his arms about her and hold her close.

He didn't want to break the spell, but after a moment he whispered in her ear. "We'd better go."

"What a shame. I should like to live in this moment." Penny turned in his arms, slipping hers about his neck. "Thank you for a wonderful evening."

"Should we do it again sometime?"

"We should do it again sometime… Soon."

They kissed.

-FAB-

"What are you doing!?"

Virgil, sitting in the darkness of his verandah, almost fell off the balcony rail at his wife's voice. "Waiting for Scott. I want to know how things went."

Alice moved out of the house. "Out here?"

"I can just see his room. I'll see his light come on."

She folded her arms. "And you can't wait until the morning."

"I don't think I can." Virgil saw a dim glow appear. "He's back!" He launched himself off the rail.

And was stopped by Alice. "You can't go racing over there!"

"Why not?"

"What if he's not alone? You could spoil their evening."

Virgil stared at her. "What?"

"Not everyone's as shy as you were, Virgil."

He pulled himself up tall. "That wasn't being shy. That was showing you respect."

She smirked. "You were very respectful." She moved closer. "How about making up for it now?" she whispered. "Since we don't have the kids to bother us."

"Well," Virgil hesitated. "I guess I can wait until morning." And with one final look at the curtained window, he allowed himself to be pulled inside.

-FAB-

_Two weeks later_

Scott stood in front of the full length mirror and admired himself. He had to admit that he looked good. Even his salt and pepper hair added to his air of debonair charm.

He'd had to submit to Virgil and Alice making sure that his hair was tidy, his tuxedo free of dirt, his buttonhole just so, and his tie straight. The only problem was that all their good work had the potential to be undone when he hung his jacket up on his flight to the mainland.

Pulling his cuffs down and smoothing out the jacket, he took a deep breath. This was it; time to go.

It was customary in the Tracy household that when all the children were in bed the adults would congregate in the villa's lounge and enjoy some quiet time together. The majority of his family were therefore surprised to see him enter in full evening dress.

"Someone's looking sharp," John commented.

Scott ran his fingers down his lapel. "Thanks."

"Where are you going?"

"Not that it's any of your business," Scott told him. "But I have a date." He made a show of adjusting his tie in the reflection of a picture.

Jeff smiled. "That's good to hear, Son. We hope you have a good time."

"A date?" Gordon wasn't as prepared to let his big brother go without more information. "Who with?"

"With a woman," Scott told him.

"A real life flesh and blood woman? Or one of Brains' automatons?"

"With a real life flesh and blood woman," Scott confirmed.

"How ugly is she?"

Scott smirked. "Not ugly at all. In fact she's beautiful."

"I bet he's only saying that," Alan snickered. "I bet she's some desperate old spinster who he met online and who's never been kissed." He yelped when with a hissed _Alan!_ Tin-Tin hit him on the leg.

Scott remembered the night two weeks earlier with a smile. "She's definitely been kissed."

"Have you known her for long, Scott?" Tin-Tin asked.

"A few years."

"Do we know this poor demented creature?" Gordon enquired. "And what did you drug her with to force her to go on a date with you?"

Scott ignored the second part of the question. "You have met her… once or twice."

"Then who is she?"

"If you must know, although I don't know why I should tell you, it's Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward."

Supremely gratified by the gasps of "Penny" and the stupefied looks his reply created, Scott Tracy left the room to begin the rest of his life.

_**The end – although it continues...**_


End file.
